Life Before You
by CasMerlinDracoMagic
Summary: Harry Potter has a sister and both have their own demons. The Dursley's have done their damage and now The Order have two children to care for, but will the children really be protected or will someone betray them again? *Spoilers for all 7 books/Movies* Warning: ChildAbuse, Violence, Dumbledore!Bashing
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! Thanks for taking a chance with my story! **

**This story is primarily about the OC and Background Characters that are being see in a different light on Harry's Journey. Not very Harry-centric. More OC, Severus and Draco-centric.**

* * *

Chapter 1

The house of number four Privet Drive was quiet, almost too quiet. There lived an ordinary family with ordinary mundane lives. At least that's what the family would like you to believe. This family had skeletons in their closet and two children hidden in their walls.

Petunia Dursley always hated her sister, loathed her attention and the bloody magical world. When she met Vernon she thought she'd be rid of her good for nothing sibling forever and raise a family as quietly and as normal as possible. Dudley Dursley was born soon after the wedding and for a little over two years life was amazing. Until one night, when the ordinary routine of her evening was interrupted and turned into her worst nightmare.

After a single knock at the door she found a toddler and a baby no older that six months on her front porch. A note tucked with the boy's blanket told her they were her nephew Harry, a two year old with an ugly looking lightning scar, though then it looked like a fresh cut, on his pale forehead and her niece, Leahynna, no doubt her freak of a sister named her. The baby looked normal enough except for the fact she was shaking possibly from the cold of the fall air in Surrey.

The note said something about her sister's untimely death along with that man, the children's father, Potter and that she was the only living relative fit to take them, but most importantly they had to stay because of some protection spell or blood thing; something to that level of freaky.

Petunia did not grieve, she did not cry and she didn't even care to find more information about what happened to her sister; instead she tried to think of some way to make the two children left in her care disappear. She couldn't stand to have either of the freaks in her home much less near her darling Duddykins and that is why that night neither child could be heard from a cupboard under the stairs where they lay that night.

* * *

No light was shining from the tiny slivers left between the bottom of the cupboard door and the carpeted floor beneath Leah's feet. She had her knees against her chest and her head lay limply upon the top the small ball she was making of herself. Harry was asleep upstairs in his room, the small one down from Dudley's larger one, which left her to ponder the silence alone.

When Harry had been moved upstairs around five years old Leah had felt a new sense of loneliness; the Dursley's had decided the two couldn't stay in the same room together anymore to discuss and plan freakiness against their relatives. The first few days had been the worst. She missed his hand holding hers, his hug telling her that everything would be fine despite the hate spewing from either relatives mouths at all times and she missed the fact that someone was in the cupboard with her when the dark came. Now she is alone in the cupboard most of the time since Harry was told to stay in his room unless he was doing chores or they were allowed out back.

She thought she was about nine years old now since Harry was almost eleven like Dudley but she was never sure of when her birthday was, her Aunt and Uncle had never wanted to tell her. The only reason they knew Harry's birthday is because it was almost a week after Dudley's and somehow he remembered from a long time ago. Now every July 31st, they celebrate in a small way in the cupboard.

Right now, she assumed it was fairly early in the morning since Harry was _still_ sleeping and hadn't woken up to start breakfast and say good morning to her like he did every single morning so she knew he was alright.

She soon realized that Harry had indeed overslept because she could hear Uncle Vernon's feet pounding upstairs in his bedroom before she could heard Harry's light footsteps on the stairs. She desperately needed to wake Harry up before he was punished for not having the food cooking before their uncle made it out of his room.

**Harry. **

**Harry, wake up.**

He made a grunt up in his room. Leah tried again to talk to him through his mind.

**Harry, please. Uncle Vernon is already awake!**

This time he heard her and made a mad scramble to get downstairs, quickly stopping by the cupboard to thank her for the warning.

It was after Harry's move upstairs she found she could communicate to Harry using her head. Most of the time she didn't mean to say anything to him but she found that when she was scared it happened almost automatically. The first time had been when Aunt Petunia was yelling at her for something she didn't do but was blamed for thanks to her bigger cousin and she was sure she'd be beaten unconscious. Leah was panicking inside her own mind when she heard Harry talk back aloud trying to calm her. They were both confused but were relieved as well to know they could now talk without being in the same room even though Harry had to still say everything out loud.

Like clockwork the stove _clicked_ on and bacon started to simmer in a pan she couldn't see. More footsteps were heard coming down the stairs, one set briefly stopping and jumping on the stairs directly above Leah's head leaving a trail of new dust to float down onto her already dirty hair. Dudley yelled as he came down and kicked the cupboard door before going in and screaming at Harry to speed it up with his breakfast.

Soon the smell of food hit her like a dodgeball in a gym class she'd never been to. Her stomach mirrored Harry's with a loud rumble of displeasure from the lack of nourishment and the tease of the opportunity to satisfy it being so close.

"Boy, hurry up with the bacon!" The monstrous voice of their uncle boomed.

"Yes, Uncle Vernon." Harry's meek reply came soon after.

Breakfast was done soon with both males shoveling the piles of food cooked by Harry down their throats before rudely pushing away from the table. Leah could hear Dudley's maniacal laugh while pushing Harry into a wall to get to the television. Aunt Petunia came through the hallway, unlocked the cupboard's lock and left without saying anything; she knew she was to join Harry because this was what they did everyday.

So they started by doing the breakfast dishes and then broke off into their different chores. Harry had a lot of yard and house maintenance to do while Leah did most of the cleaning, which Aunt Petunia insisted upon since she believed Leah and Harry contaminated her house constantly, so it was up to Leah to fix it or there'd be severe punishment.

It was almost the end of the day before either child rested or even attempted to. Uncle Vernon was upset almost immediately after they were finished however, because Harry missed the small patch of grass on the side of the house when he was mowing. He blew a gasket and hit his nephew with the palm of his hand across his cheek. Harry frantically looked for a way to get out and Leah wanted to save him. She needed to. She always _needed_ to save him like it was an instict.

Harry was always smarter when it came to avoiding Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia's wrath, he constantly could talke his way out of beatings or managed to get to his mistake and fix it before they became too belligerent.

Leah however had the opposite luck because she looked almost identical to her mom, Lily Potter, when she was this age. Her Aunt had an almost in-human hate for the small girl for almost just this fact. Uncle Vernon didn't like her at all either because she was unnaturally clumsy and was always tripping either on her own accord or her cousin's. At least Harry could manage to keep plates from falling and looked like their father whom neither had really met.

Harry was now using all he could to get away.

"I'll fix it right now, sir. Right now." Their uncle had his pudgy hand caught tightly in Harry's oversized shirt and was threatening to strike again. His face was red, changing to an ungodly shade of purple and Harry was paling.

They hated her more, she had to save him. She could stop them; Harry would be happy and that's all she wanted for her big brother. She just wanted to see that smile that so rarely crossed his face and those green eyes light up. She moved quickly and pushed Harry away from Uncle Vernon.

Harry knew what Leah was doing and almost just as quick tried to get her to not intervene because it was his fault and he didn't want her to be punished because of him, but instead Vernon took Harry by the shirt and threw him in the cupboard and kept Leah outside while he locked the door viciously.

"Want to be a bloody nuisance girl, you can be treated like one!" He screamed in her face before taking off his belt and began striking the child in front of him.

"Leah!" Harry struggled with trying to open the cupboard door, fumbling with the small door handle that he knew wouldn't turn even if he was trying to get to his little sister but like always the lock that stopped him was invincible.

Each hit made Leah's body more numb. Her Uncle was unrelenting and with every strike he screamed profanity at the nine year old. Aunt Petunia joined in shortly; tears springing to Leah's eyes despite all her will to not be a baby.

"You're a freak! Just like your parents! Clumsy! Stupid! Good. For. Nothing."

With one final blow, after what seemed like hours, he stopped abruptly. She got a kick in the side by Aunt Petunia and then was roughly thrown into the cupboard with her brother.

* * *

Several days later a letter with Harry's name neatly printed on the front came and Uncle Vernon was livid. He tore the letter and the next several that kept coming through the mail slot in front of Harry to be sure he got the message that he wasn't worth the mail. He covered the mail slot sloppily to stop the letters from streaming in, but that didn't seem to stop the owls that were oddly delivering them.

After about the fourth day of continual mail raining in, Aunt Petunia lost it and took it out on Leah while Harry was working on the garden outside. Soon after Harry also got a few bruises from her when one letter showed up in the living room almost instantaneously after the last batch was thrown out.

Finally after the sixth day Harry was able to sneak a handful of letters into the cupboard so that when they were both locked in there while the Dursley's went out to dinner that weekend they could read them without the fear of being hurt.

"Harry James Potter, it really is for me. Look there's one for you too Leah." Harry handed her a letter with her own name, Leahynna Faye Potter, printed neatly on the front with the same address. She looked at Harry quizzically because she shouldn't have also gotten a letter. Not yet.

"It's our Hogwarts letters! Leah, they finally came!" Harry's excitement was filling Leah with joy even if her body was in immense pain.

They had known they were a wizard and a witch for about four years now. When they found out, three year old Leah and five year old Harry had been more than happy to know why they were so different from their relatives and more importantly why they were always called freaks. The box that had told them the secret was hidden with her in the corner of the cupboard and held things about their parents, such as their wands and Hogwarts letters, things Aunt Petunia had tried to throw away before Leah had spotted the vintage looking box on top of the trash.

Harry didn't know much more than that he was a wizard so were their parents, but Leah knew so much more, she knew things she shouldn't an was too scared to tell him because she knew he would really think she was a freak. However even she knew it was too early for her letter, you had to be eleven like Harry or her parents, it must have been a mistake.

"Leah, aren't you happy? We can leave here now." Harry's jade eyes bore into hers as he waited for a silent answer.

"What if they don't let us go?" She whispered to him and looked down at her letter sadly.

"Someone came for mom right? Since her mom and dad weren't magic, someone had to help her. Well, we don't have anyone magic either so someone will come for us too, right? It said the name of who was going to come for her on her letter so let's check our letters for a name." Harry held up his letter and read all he could.

Leah did the same and searched for name in the same area that was on her mom's letter and found none. She sighed and looked over to Harry in desperation before hearing the familiar roll of an engine. They quickly stashed the letters away and hid the box back where it belonged under some discarded broken toys in the far corner.

The car doors slammed outside and soon the front door was being unlocked. The Dursley's came in loudly and Dudley began talking.

"That's was a horrible dinner! I wanted a hamburger not a some bloody steak! You never do anything I want!" his shrieks made Harry want to shove something in his own ears.

"Duddykins! I'm so sorry! We'll go to your favorite place tomorrow and it'll be the hamburgers all day!" Aunt Petunia's shrill voice yelled up the stairs as Dudley stomped up to his room to sulk.

Seconds later Uncle Vernon was pounding on the cupboard for them to wake up, though they didn't fall asleep, and unlocked the door.

"Clean up the bloody hallway and then to your room boy!" He cuffed Harry in the back of the head while he went away to clean the coats from the walkway. Uncle left and now Aunt Petunia came into view.

"You are going to go upstairs and clean the bathroom, it's filthy! Go! Now!" Leah had only cleaned the bathroom two days ago but she practically ran up the stairs to begin in case she was corrected harshly for laziness.

She was only beginning when Harry came up the stairs and glanced in.

"Hey, I think I can help you, Uncle Vernon said to not disturb Dudley but he wasn't going to come up these stairs to lock me in yet, he was too tired. So if you don't mid I''ll help you clean until he does come." Harry smiled.

**Thank you. **I answered back silently.

We worked quietly for about an hour before Dudley came into the doorway.

"Freaks! You missed a spot! Right over there." He pointed to the corner Leah had just cleaned before taking off his muddy shoe and throwing it at it.

"Dudley, leave us alone." Harry said to him as calm as he could.

"Or what? You'll get me? I'm so scared! Maybe I should call my dad up here?" He smirked with his smug pudgy face.

**Harry. Leave it. Just ignore him.**

"Leah how can I ignore him? He's a jerk!"

Dudley's face changed to a grimace.

**Don****'****t upset him, you****'****ll get in trouble.**

Sure enough Dudley called for Uncle Vernon the next heartbeat and ran back downstairs.

Leah backed herself in the corner with Harry before they heard the thundering feet make there way up the stairs and into the doorframe of the bathroom.

"Were you two bothering my boy?!" Uncle Vernon had been drinking since he got home.

"No sir, we were just cleaning the bathroom and Dudley came in and we talked. That's all, sir." Harry answered politely to avoid conflict since he had already gotten them into this situation.

"You did too! He called my a jerk and the girl even pushed me!" Dudley yelled from the stairs where he'd probably been eavesdropping.

**Trouble. Run.**

Leah told him after a long silence drew out between them and their uncle. She knew he was mad and drunk and it was even worse when he was both.

Harry grabbed her hand instantly and made a beeline for the door. Vernon blocked them with his enormous stomach and hit Harry's face before he could dodge. Next he launched his leg out and hit Leah in the left side of her stomach before stomping again so she would fall to the floor.

Before Harry was able to stand up again, his uncle and brought the broom he had swiped from the cleaning kit and began to deliver blow after blow. She couldn't let him hurt Harry anymore, it cut into her soul to see him crying.

She ran into Uncle Vernon with the bucket as fast as she could. Now the attention was on her and the broom was hitting her body. He was merciless and Leah could feel sleep welcoming her. Soon though she could see Harry waking and latching onto Vernon's leg.

"You little shit!" He swung at Harry, kicking out to get him off. Leah needed to get help. She ran out of the room since currently Harry was losing and she couldn't see straight. She made it to the top of the stairs and went to run down but she was yanked from behind and an evil looking uncle stared right at her.

"I'll teach you! I will." The fist connected with her cheekbone and she went soaring down but instead of hitting the floor she kept going until she felt the hard jab of a step, then more steps came and soon she couldn't hear anything. Everything was in pain and yet she felt so empty. She didn't want to open her eyes, she was scared Uncle Vernon wasn't done or she was dead.

"Le-" Someone was calling for her.

"Leah!" It was Harry and he was coming closer. A hand clasped hers and shook her slightly. Harry was crying.

"Please stop!" he was yelling. Uncle Vernon was coming closer, she could tell he was getting really scared. She was too, terrified. Harry couldn't die. She just knew he couldn't.

**Safe.**

She whispered in Harry's head before they were both gone from the Dursley's stairs and whirling through the air in a sensation neither had ever felt before and suddenly they were dumped unceremoniously on the ground with a castle in the distance. Neither one of them were moving.


	2. Chapter 2

Severus Snape was trying to drown a headache in a special potion he'd made for times when he felt this way. He was tired of Hogwarts no matter how much he cared for the school. He was tired of students who didn't care about potions and who almost blew themselves into high heavens because of it. He was tired of that bumbling headmaster Dumbledore and all of his damned lemon drops. Most of all he was tired of everyone asking him to be their personal potions master.

He sat down in his chair within the dungeon living quarters he was assigned during the school term, near the Slytherin dorms. His head lay in his hands as he thought of yet another year with students and teachers that looked at him like he was some villain. So what if he wore dark clothes and had long greasy black hair, that didn't mean he was satan walking.

He finally had some quiet in his busy head when he heard a snap and felt a bit of a rumble beneath his feet. He got up from the seat and looked out his window to the black lake. Beyond that he saw a form or maybe two and they were outside the school's wards. Someone had just apparated onto the outskirts of Hogwarts grounds and he was sure going to find out who.

He began to make his way through the castle and made it outside in time to run into Minerva Mcgonagall.

"Severus, did you see the apparition?" She asked him worriedly.

"Yes, unfortunately. Who would dare _apparate _to the school is beyond me."

"Well it must be important to take that means of transportation, surely." Severus nodded before continuing toward the area of disruption. Minerva followed in close suit nearly tripping over Snape's black ropes.

As they rounded the Black Lake they both now realized that the forms were of children. Children could not apparate much less get to Hogwarts before they'd even attended the school, which Severus knew by how small they were. The boy barely looked old enough to attend school here; the girl definitely could not.

Minerva had quickened her pace when she saw they were both unconscious and Severus did the same. As they approached the children they saw a gruesome sight. The boy's hair was a black abyss color that matched Severus's robes, but his hair was matted with blood at the moment and had a similar color to the girl's hair which was already an auburn red that was similar to the Weasley Twins but a bit lighter. Bruises covered both children; the girl looked worse off with a few limbs at grotesque angles and blood coming from her back.

"Merlin, we need to get these two to Madam Pompfrey before we lose them." Minerva gasped and started to look to levitate the girl.

"It's too risky to levitate them, if you can carry the boy, I'll carry the girl, she's too fragile to have you jostle her on the way back. The boy should be light enough still however, for you to carry him without dropping the lad."

The glare she gave him was priceless but it was true. She may be strong but one trip or stumble and the girl could be damaged beyond repair,the boy was better off taking the wobbling steps of the woman.

Severus carefully put his arm under the the child's head and his other under her knees. He wasn't prepared for how light the girl really was, he'd carried toddlers heavier than her. Once she was situated and he was sure he couldn't hurt her even if _he _tripped he glanced over at Mcgonagall who had the boy in her arms and nodded for them to head towards the infirmary.

Halfway through the castle the boy started to wake and squirm in Mcgonagall's arms. They stopped briefly while they waited for him to calm down.

"It's ok, it's alright. Just go back to sleep." She soothed. He was fighting the sleep but eventually with more coos he was down for the count again.

When they reached the infirmary, Severus called loudly for the mediwitch.

"What in the name of- Severus what happened?" She glanced at the girl in his arms before looking around and seeing the boy as well.

"Lay them down, be gentle. I'll start the diagnostic tests now. Severus you do the girl, I'll start the boy. Hurry now."

Minerva carefully lay the boy on a cot and quickly Madam Pompfrey waved her wand over the child. Severus did the same and waited for the results.

The girl was so pale he didn't think she'd make it by the time the blasted results came. When they finally did, he couldn't help but gag. She had had numerous broken bones, including most of her ribs. The severity of the bruises went from barely a nuisance to causing internal bleeding. At the moment the girl had a broken arm and leg as well as internal bleeding around her liver and left kidney. Her back had an infection from what looked like welts made from a belt and the back of her legs weren't fairing much better.

Her body was starving. She was so malnourished that the girl could be unconscious just from the low blood sugar and hunger pains. The girl hadn't eaten in almost a week.

Severus glanced at Minerva and Poppy and saw only disgust as they read the boy's medical results. He assumed it was fairly similar to the other child's.

"By Merlin, what- who could have done this to these children? They're innocent, who would need to hurt them so much?" Minerva shook her head in amazement.

Just then Severus caught something on the boy's forehead. Poppy pushed past him to start administering treatment to both children, but he didn't notice because he was focused entirely on the odd shape of the scar now revealed to him. He knew that lightning scar.

"That's Harry Potter." he mumbled.

"It couldn't be. Are you sure? Severus?" She gave him a look that was only that of guilt.

"I told that bumbling old goat that they were the worst kind of muggles! Does he listen to me? No! These poor children!"

Snape was confused. He had been there, he had held Lily in his arms and rocked his only true love as he cried tears of grief. He had heard Harry in the toddler bed and realized then that there was a another baby as well, this one a girl.

When he had called to inform the ministry of the Potters' murders he had mostly forgotten the children and had trusted they would be handled accordingly. He always thought Sirius or Remus would have taken them but he'd forgotten Remus's condition probably prevented him from being a suited guardian and Sirius at the time was a suspect before they caught Peter Pettigrew. Still he believed they had been given to wealthy wizards who would keep them safe and shower them with love, it only occurred to him now he had no idea where they had been placed.

"Where did you take them?" Severus asked.

"The Dursley's, Lily's sister." Minerva shuddered.

"Dumbledore thought it'd be right to place Lily's children with that evil b- Tuney isn't fit to raise her own children let alone the chosen one and his sister!" Snape raved.

"I know I told that old coot but he kept going on about the blood wards that only Petunia can give them as they're the only family they have left. But look at them, they would have been safer with wizards or at least some caring muggles." She sighed.

"What's the girl's name?" Severus inquired. He had never actually heard her name, only Harry's over the years because he had been the one to stop He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

"Leahynna. Such a pretty name isn't it? She's got her mother's hair too." Minerva smiled at Severus before turning back to help Poppy with the girl's treatment.

"That'll be as much as I can do at the moment I'm afraid. The boy is healing quickly but the girl is taking a bit longer. I'm not sure why but she's barely healing at the rate a witch should. She's also running a fever, so we need to be sure to keep an eye on that." Pompfrey explained and then went back to her office to gather more supplies for the night ahead.

"We need to tell Albus and the Order too." Minerva whispered. Severus nodded.

"You want to stay here in case Harry wakes?" She asked seeing an odd expression on his face.

"Someone should. Poppy's busy with the medical side of things, so one of us should stay."

She nodded and left the room, it was obvious he was the one who wanted to stay and at the moment she had some ranting to do.

It was almost an hour after Mcgonagall had left when Harry had started to wake. Severus was unsure what he was going to say to the boy. He was sure that both children were spoiled by their guardians and he was blind-sided by this new information. Poppy was busy trying to contain the girl's fever so he knew he'd be the first one Harry saw.

"Leah?" It came out a bit garbled but he knew he was trying to call his sister.

"It's alright Harry, she's going to be ok." He soothed, but this seemed to scare him more.

"Leah? Where is she? What have you done with her!" The boy's eyes were entirely open now and focused on Severus and his body bolted into a sitting position causing obvious pain.

"I haven't done anything to her, she is resting in the next bed over."

Before he knew it the boy was darting out of bed and hobbling toward his sister's side.

"Young man what are you doing out of bed?" Poppy caught him before he made the last few feet to Leahynna's bed.

"Please I need to see her! She's not answering me; is she ok? How bad is it? Where are we?" Harry was obviously scared and especially flinched when Poppy caught his arm to lead him back to his own cot.

"She's healing but she needs to rest. She's asleep at the moment." Severus said when he was plopped back into the bed.

"Where are we?"

"Hogwarts."

Harry's eyes lit up brightly when the name of the school was told and he even smiled.

"We made it! Someone came and got us, right? To go to school?" This had Snape confused. He was sure neither child knew about magic let alone the school, he was sure Petunia Dursley wouldn't have told them about this place.

"Not exactly." Was all he managed.

"But someone had to get us 'cause no one else we know knows magic." He said it so matter-of-factly Severus was wondering who _was_ going to get Harry when he started school.

"What was the last thing you remember?" he asked the boy.

Harry didn't answer but looked away and at Leah.

"It's alright, my name is Severus Snape and I'm a professor here, you can tell me." But before he could, Minerva came through the infirmary doors.

"The Order is here and I told them it wouldn't be a good idea to talk in here with the children in case they woke- oh, Harry you're awake. How are you dear?"

"Fine ma'am." He said hesitantly.

"Go ahead Severus, Harry and I will be fine." Poppy assured.

However when he went to stand, Harry grasped his robes.

"Will you come back, sir?" His emerald eyes shone like Lily's slowly breaking his heart.

"Of course, I'll only be but a few moments." Minerva nodded in agreement and Harry slowly let go of his robes.

He followed Minerva to the corridor next to the hospital wing where several wizards and witches stood.

"Where are they? Are they alright? I'll kill the people who harmed those children, how dare they hurt-"

"Molly, darling please calm down" Mr. Weasley grabbed his wife's shoulders comfortingly.

"No, I like where she was going. Whoever hurt my godchildren is going to pay dearly." Sirius Black said vindictively.

"All of you, calm down!" Snape hissed. The group was quiet at once.

"Harry is awake and healing at a quite rapid speed thanks to Madam Pompfrey. Leahynna however is battling a very high fever caused by infection and is taking a bit longer to heal." Severus told them.

"Who did it?" The voice came from Remus Lupin and it occurred to him Minerva hadn't said who had harmed the children just that the two had shown up obviously injured.

He got a sideways glance from Minerva confirming his suspicion and was obvious she wasn't going to tell them.

"Their relatives whom they live with, the Dursley's." There was a minor outrage then when the entire group realized what had happened to the two children behind the mahogany doors a few paces down.

"How did we not know? Wasn't someone watching them, someone from the wizarding world?"

Severus in fact did not know that answer but it was a great question.

"Dumbledore told me Arabella Fig lived only a few doors down and was looking after their well being." Mcgonagall answered.

"Obviously that was a lie." Alistair Moody seethed.

"I want to see them." Sirius suddenly stated.

"I'm not sure it's such a great idea at the moment." Severus answered.

The doors then opened and Poppy leered out.

"The girl is awake, I have no understanding as to how considering she's still got a serious outlook of injuries but she is. Harry is siting with her now, but i think you should come talk to them Severus."

"Alright," he turned back to Sirius, "I'll talk to them and if they say it's alright with them you may go in, but I warn you, strangers to kids who have been hurt so badly by people who are suppose to love them, tend to be extremely intimidating. So if they do say no, please don't shout and scare them into letting you in."

He walked back into the infirmary silently and strolled toward the two forms who were talking.

"Leah? Do you know what happened? I can't remember how we got here, do you?" Snape was waiting for the answer but he never heard it.

"That's all I remember too! I hope we can stay here, I like it."

To say Severus Snape was perplexed by the fact Harry heard an answer and he heard nothing was an understatement. In fact he continued to stare as Harry asked something, silence and the conversation continued. That was until the little girl glanced behind Harry and shrunk back into the bed.

"Oh, you came back! Don't worry Leah, this is Severus Snape and he's a teacher here. He was really nice to me, he won't hurt you." Leah didn't believe him much but she did recognize him from the pictures in the box with her mom.

"That's right, I'm not going to hurt you. Harry and I have already talked and I assure you I won't let anyone else hurt you either." She looked at him but quickly turned back away never making eye contact.

"Harry, did Leah answer you at all when you two were talking? I didn't hear anything." At this question Harry looked down and Leah physically paled.

"What's wrong? Harry?"

"Nothing, sir. She doesn't talk."

"She must have answered you somehow. At least you seemed to have heard her say something."

Leahynna's eyes screamed so many emotions his own head was spinning. Harry was looking at him, somewhat pleading. Harry inhaled sharply.

"I can hear her. Just me."

Now Severus really was confused.

"How?"

"In my head. She talks to me but I can't answer back in my own head so I still talk out loud. She can't hear me like I hear her."

Now Leah was practically off the bed and pulling Harry with her. Severus understood now, Leah was telepathic. Her magic was warped a special way that gave her a natural gift. That was the reason she took longer to heal, the magic can't compensate for the ability.

Not many magical folk have a natural ability such as telepathy, Severus hadn't heard of one being present for at least 200 years when a certain wizard had the ability to move objects without a wand, it didn't happen often.

"Can you talk to anyone else besides Harry?" He directed the question directly to the terrified girl.

It was obvious that wasn't what she was expecting. She was cowering with her hands over her eyes and making herself as small as possible, but when he asked her she suddenly looked up at him then over at Harry.

"She doesn't know, there's never been anyone else to talk too."

"Well I like talking to you, would you like to try?" She looked at Harry again.

"She wants to know why you don't think we're freaks."

That's when Severus broke completely.

"Why on earth would you think such a thing?" he said exasperatedly.

"Because that's what Aunt Petunia said."

"Well your aunt was completely wrong. You too aren't anything of the sort."

**But we have magic.**

The voice was so quiet and small he was unsure he'd actually heard correctly but it was definitely a little girl's voice.

"It doesn't matter that you have magic, that makes you special, not a freak."

"She did it? She talked to you? Amazing Leah!" Harry was grinning ear to ear before there was knock at the door.

"Oh yes, I need to discuss something with both of you. Your godfather is outside and would very much like to see you."

**Sirius Black?**

Again Snape was taken aback.

"You know his name? How did you know his name?" he was perplexed.

"It's in the box. Oh no Leah! The box! We have to go back now!" Severus didn't even ask because there was another knock. It was obviously more persistent than the first and now that dog was doing exactly what he told him not to do.

"I'm sorry Harry but you can not go back to that house. We can get the box another time, alright?"

Harry shrugged but cast his eyes down.

**We need it. Please, sir? I can go back.**

"Absolutely not. It is completely out of the question."

"But our letters are there, sir. How will we get into school without them?"

"You won't need your letter, we already know you are going and we have to supply list here." Honestly they were getting completely off subject and Leah's eyes were too watery for him.

"He can come back in a while after you've both rested, come on, into bed." Harry headed back to his cot looking relieved but as he was pulling the covers up on Leahynna he was stopped.

**I have to go back. Mom and Dad****'****s things are in that box and if Aunt Petunia finds them she****'****ll burn them! Please I have to get it, sir!**

Her hands were wound tight in his robes and her eyes were full of tears. She quickly grabbed her arms back however and her tears dried so fast he blinked and they were gone. Then she was back into a cowering ball against the headboard with Harry looking over concerned.

"Leah what's wrong?" She didn't seem to answer and Harry asked a few more times before calling to me.

"She's not answering, sir. She always answers! May I please get out of bed?" It didn't dawn on him that Harry and Leah may take everything as an order but if something was wrong he'd rather Harry not see.

"No Harry, you need to stay there, ok? I'll check on her." Sure enough when he reached to check her temperature it was frighteningly hot. He went to move her but as he touched her shoulder she slumped into his arms unconsciously.

"Poppy!" The medi-witch was there in an instant.

"She's way too warm Severus, we need to cool her down the muggle way. Get some cloths and wet them in cold water. Then we can put them on different temperature points on her body and hopefully she'll respond. I was hoping to get some food in her before she went south."

They continued to try to bring the fever down with a worried looking Harry watching every move they made.

"Severus? All we can do know is hope she cools down. Someone needs to sit and monitor her fever however. Minerva already volunteered. You should go lie down, you've been here since they first arrived, go ahead, I'll floo you if anything new happens."

He reluctantly walked away from the bed and passed Harry. He stopped though to ask a question.

"Where is this box?"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Severus made it to the front of the Number 4 Privet Drive before his anger got the best of him. He was so irate he had to wait another hour before he could even approach the blasted door.

When he did finally knock, it was a large boy, one who seemed in need of both a bath and some healthier food choices, who opened the door to the home.

"Who are you?" the boy spat rudely.

"I'm here to speak with your parents, are they here?" He had to clench his mouth to keep himself from ranting at the boy in front of him.

"Duddykins, who's at the- What in merlin's name are _you _doing here!" Petunia Dursley opened the door wider and by now Severus couldn't help but raise his voice.

"ME? Do you have any idea what you and your husband have done to those children? The boy is fairly injured and the girl is fighting for her life! I ought to hex you into next month you, you-" He was cut off by her walrus of a husband.

"And who do you bloody think you are!? The is our home and you have no right to be trespassing and screaming at my wife!"

"It was my right the minute those children showed up at the school barely breathing! You will let me in to gather their things or I assure I will have no restraint on the amount of pain I will gladly inflict upon both of you."

The rounded man made no attempt to move out of the way and Severus had too much delight in his face when he did not use magic but simply pushed his massive body away from the door and stepped inside the home.

"I am getting their things. I assure you both the muggle authorities as well as the Ministry will be hearing of your pleasure in hurting children, and they will be especially happy to hear it was the Chosen One and his sister. I guarantee I will be there to watch as they take you to prison, or maybe even Azkaban."

` This made Vernon Dursley high tail it upstairs and frantically call to his family to start packing. They wouldn't get far.

Severus noticed something glimmering in the corner of his eye. On the stairs, to the right where he stood in the foyer, he saw red. It was blood. There was a fair amount and it suddenly made sense as to why the girl's injuries were so severe.

He almost blew up the home. However had he done this _he _would have been the one sent to Azkaban and that was not a chance he was willing to take at the moment.

He went forward and caught sight of a cupboard. It was very quaint and he couldn't imagine a child even fitting in such a small space, confined for hours at a time. However when he opened the door he knew this is what occurred.

There was blood in here too, it still stank of the putrid liquid and smelt somewhat of cleaning supplies. There was no bed but a lone blanket discarded in a corner seeming to hide something. The light inside did not function and he whispered a quiet _Lumos _before continuing.

Under the blanket were 3 toys, aged and broken beyond repair, and distracting from the real treasure, the simple wooden box.

It was plain and dusty, however, the minute he saw Lily's name engraved in the front left corner he knew this is the piece the children had told him they needed. When he opened it, it was almost too much for him the handle. Lily and James Potter laughing and posing for a picture, Lily's smile shone brightly to Severus. Their wands, though broken, were placed neatly and covered by a cloth with James's initials. Both their school letters were also in the box, worn by age and the amount of times the children must have opened and read them.

He could not take it any longer, he closed the box and took the blanket before heading upstairs into what was Harry's room.

He was appalled at the sight of a plain mattress in the corner and some discarded clothes with the lack of any other possession laying about that could possibly be the boy's. He did find a small figure, that of a solider and took only this from the room.

He took one more glance around and noticed that the house was spotless despite the blood on the floor of the cupboard and stairs. He decided that was not necessary, for such horrible people to have such a nice home, and with one flick of his wand, the entire place was in shambles.

He heard Petunia shriek before he left and dispirited back to the children.

* * *

It was too quiet.

Harry was beside himself as Leah had not answered in the last two hours of his constant pleas for her small frame to wake up.

He was scared, not because they were in a strange place with strange people and he had no idea if they were going to hurt them too, but because Leah had still not responded and the nice woman who was helping her looked a little scared too.

He didn't understand what most of the people outside the door were saying either, he knew Leah would though and he really just needed her to wake up.

He sat up in bed when the door opened again, he thought it would be the other nice lady who had carried him, but this was an entirely new person and he wasn't sure if he was good or bad. So he hid under the bed.

"Harry? Harry, it's me, your godfather, Sirius. It's alright, I promise I won't harm you, I just must see you though, I want to know you're alright." The man's voice was deep but not as deep as Uncle Vernon's and he realized Leah couldn't hide from this man so he must come out or she may be hurt.

He hesitantly moved from under the bed and walked nervously backwards toward Leah's bed and her unconscious form.

"I'm not going to hurt you Harry, I would like to talk to you if that's ok. I was your father's best friend."

Harry remembered Leah mentioning this man before, that he was their godfather but couldn't care for them. He had seen him in the big group picture that was in the box.

Sirius had made his way the the other side of the cot and Harry panicked, even if he was a good guy.

"Don't touch her! Leave her alone!" Harry yelled at him and kept yelling even if it hurt his chest to holler so much.

"I won't hurt her either Harry, I promise. Let's just talk, okay?"

Harry timidly listened to Sirius tell his tale of how he and his father had met and when Harry was born and named him the godfather. He was intrigued about hearing of his father and Sirius even talked about his mother, someone who'd rarely been regarded in a good tone at the Dursley's.

Before he knew it he was sitting beside Sirius on his cot and falling asleep. He was relaxed after the third story of his father and his group of friends raising a bit of trouble at Hogwarts. Harry fell asleep and this time he didn't fight it.

When Severus arrived back at the infirmary, he was met with a peculiar sight. Harry was asleep in his cot with the dog- Sirius sitting quietly next to him staring at the still unconscious girl.

"Did you kill them?" Sirius whispered.

"Hardly. Gave them quite a scare though. I didn't think it was a good idea to murder the two gits in front of their child before a trial was held, do you?"

"They deserve a fate worse than death anyway." Sirius mumbled before his eyes fell on Leah once more.

"Poppy's worried about her. The fever won't break and she's not healing. She said-" Sirius's voice broke before he continued, "She may not make it."

Severus sighed deeply, however for some odd reason, he didn't believe it. Something in the back of his mind tugged at the idea that she was strong enough to fight the fever, injuries and pull through.

"Harry and I talked about James. I'm sure that isn't what you want to hear, but he ate it up. When I came in he was so afraid that I felt the need to join you and kill them myself, but then I saw Leah and it was obvious they need us more than we need to murder the Dursley's. For now."

Snape stared at Sirius for moment before nodding slightly and walking toward Leah.

She was silent and unmoving and if he couldn't see her chest rise and fall he'd believe she were dead.

Her entire body was a giant wreck. Bruises decorated her broken body and only a few areas were uncovered. Scars also littered her skin and when he saw the burn marks he had to turn away.

He knew if this were a normal witch, most of the scar could be hidden by potions but he doubted it would work for her as she had such a hard time healing from fresh injuries.

They all sat for some time and then suddenly Leah's hand twitched. Snape immediately leapt up started to call her name. Although her fever remained, she was awakening.

"Leah? Can you hear me?" Harry was now up as well, his slumber forgotten in the commotion.

**Harry?**

"Yeah, it's me. Leah thank goodness you answered, I was worried there for a while."

The two man stood back and let Harry sit next to her.

"Harry keep her talking alright, I'm going to get Madam Pompfrey." Sirius told him. Harry nodded and waited for her response.

**Are you ok?**

"Leah, you were dying a minute ago and you're asking me if I'm ok?"

**Yes.**

"Yes, I'm fine, actually I'm brilliant now that you're awake."

**Good. The box, we have to get it.**

"Don't worry Professor Snape already got it for us, here." Harry gave the box to Leah, who still hadn't opened her eyes.

They sat their until Poppy came in and checked her over.

"Leah, can you open your eyes." Madam Pompfrey asked soon after the check over.

There was silence before Severus heard her voice in his head.

**I can't. Tired.**

"I know you're hurting and exhausted but we really need you to open your eyes." Her body shook slightly but they could all see she was trying her best.

Soon her aqua eyes were looking up at Severus but quickly averted to the corner.

"Great Leah!" Harry had a smile about a mile wide at the sight of his sister being fully awake.

Unfortunately it was short lived when the door to the infirmary was thrust open. Harry and Leah were mortified and put their hands in front of their faces and Severus was about to strangle the entrant. Sadly it was the one person he couldn't strangle.

Albus Dumbledore.

Minerva and some other Order members followed Dumbledore into the room before they acknowledged the inhabitants, started to rave at the Headmaster.

"You knew?! The entire time you knew those children were in trouble, hurting and you did nothing to stop it?!" Remus was not one to anger quickly but he was ready to curse Dumbledore.

"I have told you Remus, I was aware they were not the best of guardians but I had no idea it was his bad." the old man answered calmly.

"If it was bad at all, you should have taken them the moment you received the first letter from Arabella Figg!" Molly Weasley yelled.

Severus glanced at the two children, slightly confused at what he saw.

Harry was intrigued, watching the argument unfold, he sister however, was in complete despair. He had seen her afraid but this wasn't exactly what he was looking at. She looked angry, it was the first time he had seen an emotion other than fear and he was still puzzled.

Dumbledore approached the bed and this is when all hell broke lose.

The minute Leah saw the man approach the bed Harry and herself occupied, she was out of the bed faster than the injured girl should have been able to move. Her legs had obviously at least healed enough for her to get out of bed. Her fists were clenched at her sides and despite the vast amount of people in the room, she was able to dart between Moody and Arthur Weasley and through the door to the rest of the castle.

Everyone was surprised, especially Harry, who still sat on the bed. It was Severus who ran first after her. He hadn't run in a long time and immediately regretted it.

Some other members joined him, while others stayed with Harry. Dumbledore was perhaps the most unmoved as he bore the same expression he had when he entered the room and was content at the child fleeing.

The members who stayed continued to scold the man while the other searched the castle for Leah.

Severus knew that the child would be ailing by now, the burst of energy leaving as soon as it came and her injuries should be slowing her down now.

It had been almost an hour and no locator spell was working, and no pictures could say they had seen her run by.

They were beginning to worry as her situation was becoming more clear and the one thing on their minds were her reaction to the Headmaster.

Two more hours passed and everyone was on the brink of panic, including Harry who had tried but failed to communicate with her.

* * *

Leah had heard her brother, but did not answer him. As much as she had wanted to not let her brother worry, she just could not bring herself to talk to anyone, she was just so mad.

She knew why, but the amount of anger still surprised her and she was afraid.

She left because she knew what that man, the Headmaster of the school and the great Albus Dumbledore had done and she was too afraid she blurt it out in her anger that she left.

She couldn't tell them, something gave her the feeling that it wasn't the right time, that if she told it would mess everything up. Still, she could almost scream at how much she wanted to tell Harry that this man was not one to trust, no matter how nice he may seem.

She made it to the Astronomy Tower with the direction of a ghost, Peeves was his name. He seemed like he was mean at first and began calling things at her before he saw how upset she really was and told her about the Astronomy Tower.

There is where she sat, staring at the gloomy sky and hoping they wouldn't find her for bit more time. She was hurting, but for some reason her heart hurt more than her body.

She began to think of the Dursley's and what they had said about her being a freak. And she really was. She shouldn't be able the talk in other's heads, or know things by touching an object or person and most importantly, get visions of the future. That one scared her, even if it had only happened twice.

She curled into a ball and began to let the tears fall.

This is how Severus found her.

After an intense interrogation of Peeves, he had extracted where she had ran off to almost three hours ago.

She was in a corner, her head tightly pushed against her knees and tears falling to the floor.

He was a bit unsure of how to approach her without scaring her or saying the wrong thing as he wasn't really the one with the most experience with children, surely Molly Weasley would be better at this.

Despite his hesitation, he did walk toward her as he knew she couldn't wait for someone else to show up.

"Leah. Are you alright."

Her body stiffened at his voice but relaxed slightly after a moment. She nodded her head but kept it in the same position.

"You don't seem alright to me. I know I may not be the most…warm person, but you may tell me anything you wish, I will not tell anyone." Severus spoke.

Without saying anything, Leah held out her hand and a flower quickly began to grow. Severus was taken aback by the gesture as her mother had done the same thing when they were children.

He took it and held it close, as the child still had not looked up.

"I'm fine." It was so quiet he could hardly hear what she said but was thrilled she had spoke. She flinched when she did so however.

"Leah, no one is going to hurt you here. Everyone in Hogwarts right now cares for both of you."

Lies. Leah knew at least one for sure was already hurting them indirectly, but she did not indulge him with that information.

"Please come back to the infirmary with me, you are in no condition to be out of bed."

She looked up then, at him then the floor, but began to stand despite her obvious distain.

She faltered and Severus caught her before she went plummeting back down.

"Sorry." She whispered and attempted to stand on her own again. He let her walk even though he was sure it wasn't the best option because he had seen how jumpy she was when he caught her and the only goal was to get her back to bed safely.

They were walking through the castle when she began to slow down and stop at a trophy case. Her father's name was plastered on several of them.

He did not bother her and soon they were walking again.

They arrived back to the room to the great relief of all in the infirmary. Dumbledore no longer occupied the room and this seemed to relax her more than anything else.

Poppy examined her and concluded that she was somehow on the mend after her adventure. The fever was gone and she was healing at a more normal rate now.

Relieved and tired, Severus told them he would be going to bed now and that they should all do the same as they had no idea what tomorrow would bring.

Before he left, he heard one last voice.

**Goodnight, Severus. **

He could swear that it was Lily's but logic told him it was Leah, though she had never called him by his first name and when he looked back at her, she was already half-asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been almost a week and everyone was gearing up for Harry's birthday and the trip to Diagon Alley.

Leah was mostly healed and frequently joined Harry and Sirius on walks around the castle, because she had to make sure Harry was alright, even if it was only an hour per Madam Pompfrey's request for her not overexert herself.

This is where they were now, and even though Harry had warmed up to Sirius and Remus too, Leah still didn't trust anyone except Severus . After their encounter in the tower, she was constantly near him, hiding when others visited the castle and watching him make potions while Harry was with Sirius learning about Hogwarts and wizardry.

She and Snape didn't exchange much except when he would ask her if she were hungry which was a constant "no".

Harry seemed to be adjusting fairly well on the other hand. He was always wandering the castle, already visiting the newly discovered trophy case more than twice a day just to see his father's name gleam in front of him.

They were passing the case now, and seeing as Leah seemed to need a bit of a break, they stopped and Harry pressed his nose against the glass, smiling in delight that his father's trophies were still there.

"Are you going to play quidditch Harry?" Sirius asked, leaning next to the case.

"I hope so!" Harry said excitedly.

Sirius smiled and looked over at Leah who was resting against the castle wall.

"What about you Leah?"

After a few hesitant looks and a deep breath she whispered,

"I don't like heights. I'd rather cheer Harry on from the ground." She seemed to momentarily be somewhere else before she shook her head and looked at Sirius briefly then casting her eyes to the ground.

"That's just fine, your mother used to cheer for you father and didn't take much to the severity of quidditch either." This seems to relieve her of some anxiety.

Sirius heard the clock chime four times and released they'd been walking for two hours; no wonder Leah was practically ready to collapse. Although she had healed of her broken bones and internal bleeding, she was still experiencing bouts of pain in her legs and shortness of breath. Poppy had assured them all this would pass in time, but her body just needed more time.

"We have to get ready for dinner, the Order will be here soon. Leah can you walk, or shall I carry you?" Sirius asked.

She peered up at him before trying to walk and almost landing on the floor, only barely caught by Harry.

"I can carry her on my back Sirius. I used to do it all the time, she's not heavy at all." Leah looked like she liked this much better than the idea of Sirius carrying her and as long as Harry could manage it, he'd allow it.

Harry crouched down and she climbed on clumsily before clasping her hands around him. He stood up unsteadily at first but got his balance quickly and started the trek toward the familiar infirmary.

Harry was completely healed physically and had been since three days after showing up, but considering Leah needed help healing still, they both remained in the infirmary.

They arrived at dinner by 5:30 and sat before any one else arrived. Harry was going on about how he couldn't wait to go to Diagon Alley tomorrow but Leah was a bit frightened since they still didn't know who was going to take them. As long as it wasn't the Headmaster, she would be fine, at least that's what she told herself.

Another ten minutes went by before Remus walked through the door.

"I see were all eager to have dinner, Sirius." He winked and sat next to Sirius before explaining the rest of the company would be arriving shortly after a slight delay of something he wasn't saying aloud with the children present.

Severus was the next to walk in and Leah was hoping he'd sit next to her. She knew all the members were nice and friends of her parents but for some reason, Severus seemed the safest. This was the first time the Order members were eating dinner with them as well and she was nervous about their questions that might be asked.

Severus looked at her briefly but she averted her eyes, she didn't want to get in trouble for making eye contact. If she had at the Dursley's it had almost immediately meant a beating and she wasn't sure her body could handle one right now.

He sat next to her and to say the others in the room were surprised was an understatement. Most of the meal times were spent in the infirmary and only recently had they started going to the great hall to have dinner at the same time as the returning professors that had arrived two days ago. Snape usually sat at another table, the children frequently ate with Sirius and if he wasn't there, themselves.

The door opened yet again and this time it brought some disgruntled members who sat around the table with Molly Weasley directly across from Leah.

It didn't take long to see what had riled them up however, as Albus Dumbledore walked into the room and sat at the head of the table.

Leah physically tensed next to him, but Severus just hoped she wouldn't run away this time. They had all told the man not to show up for dinner without letting the children know in advance but he had come anyway. Minerva looked particularly upset.

"Shall we eat?" He had said, in the most Dumbledore voice they had ever heard.

Leah was still shaking slightly but she did not leave although Harry had grabbed her hand in support his time.

The meal appeared in front of them and everyone began to eat silently, including Harry who was sure he'd never seen this much food in his lifetime as he saw in front of him tonight.

Leah had not picked up her fork yet, but getting her to eat was much more of a struggle. While Harry was gradually learning to eat almost a whole meal for the first time in his life, Leah had yet to eat a few more bites a day. Poppy had said her stomach was probably so small she couldn't eat much, and it may even make her sick right now. Harry had clearly eaten more often than her even though that wasn't much at all either. She had a nutrition potion three times given by either Poppy or Severus and this would continue until she ate more.

"Leah, you need to eat dear. We have to fatten you up." Molly's voice carried across the table.

She timidly grabbed her fork and took a minuscule bite, which Severus was sure just to please Molly. It did just that as she nodded and went back to her meal.

"So who is going to take the children to Diagon Alley tomorrow?" Moody asked.

"Well everyone is busy except Severus or Sirius, but I assumed they could both go." Dumbledore interjected before anyone else could answer. This caused discord as everyone knew they did not like each other.

"Sirius is perfectly capable of going alone." Harry seemed alright with this but Leah had put down her fork a bit more forcefully than necessary.

"I believe Leah would prefer if you went as well Severus." Dumbledore responded. Leah's voice immediately entered his mind.

You don't have to come. I'll be fine.

Her voice wasn't especially convincing to him.

"I guess I must go because if you let the mutt go alone he'd probably forget half the list and cause trouble wherever they go." Severus got a few laughs, a two menacing glares and he swore he saw a small smile on Leah's face; a first.

Dinner continued smoothly although Leah did not eat anything else.

Afterwards Harry convinced several male members to show him a mock quidditch game while Leah sat in the stands with the Weasley's. Severus was unfortunately preoccupied with potions and readying for tomorrow.

Harry had never been more excited as he was right now on Remus's broom, flying for the first time, even if it was Remus flying.

He had been scared at first and almost joined Leah who refused to even go on the field, but as soon as they were in the air, he knew it was something he loved.

Several others were flying under them, playing a game of quidditch, and they were doing quite well for older wizards.

Harry was so exhilarated learning all the terms and how to play, Leah however was panicking.

"Are you sure Harry is safe up there?" she inquired quietly for the hundredth time.

"Of course dear, he's with Remus, he'll be fine." Her assurances didn't comfort Leah much.

Half an hour passed when suddenly Leah was extremely cold and began to shake uncontrollably. Molly Weasley called those playing and they were all perplexed as it seemed she was having a muggle seizure.

Leah of course knew shortly before the attack, what was happening it had happened twice before in fact. This was the first time in front of anyone however as she had always been in the cupboard alone when they occurred.

She was seeing things that had not happened yet. She saw a a cloth, a mirror, some odd creature that resembled a dog, and fire.

When she awoke she was in the infirmary bed, Harry and Sirius sitting around her.

"Leah? Are you feeling alright? Don't scare me like that again!" Harry was holding her hand, however she could tell the adults knew what had happened and suddenly she couldn't breathe and she was filled with dread.

Severus walked over and could see the fear taking hold of Leah.

"You had a premonition, has this happened before." She thought she should lie, but she was never a good liar. She simply nodded her head and curled into a ball.

"Leah, you never told me you could do that too! It's so cool, I just wished it didn't make you pass out." Harry continued to hold her hand.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want you to think I was freak too."

When the words left the girl's mouth Severus almost yelled.

"No one would ever believe you were a freak Leah, these extra abilities, they're gifts." Sirius said in response. Leah didn't seem convinced at all.

"I am a freak, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon told me so. If they knew about the visions and the talking in Harry's head and the things I kew by touching them, they'd probably kill me."

This took everyone by bewilderment as she had never talked so much at once, there was one more gift they hadn't known about and most importantly the fact that she thought the Dursley's would kill her for being herself.

"You are not a freak." Severus said first.

Leah continued to keep her head on her knees.

"When did the abilities appear Leah?" he asked.

"When we first found the box when I was three. When I lifted it out of the trash I saw a flash of where the box started, ended up with us and everything in between. We didn't know we were magic then. Shortly after was when they moved Harry to the room upstairs and we learned I could talk to him without speaking aloud or being in the same room. Then when we were five I had my first vision about Harry and how was going to get hit by a car. I stopped him from going across the street when I saw it was happening just like I saw in the vision and he was safe."

She took a deep breath.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Harry sniffed.

"I didn't want you to hate me too." She whispered.


	5. Chapter 5

Leah didn't talk the rest of the evening and now it was the morning for school shopping.

It was clear now why Hogwarts had chosen Leah to come two years early, she was clearly beyond her years and needed to be somewhere that helped her grow not gave her death threats.

Evidently there had never been a with or wizard with three gifts at once, it was far enough to have one or two. Minerva had been the one to tell Leah that information in an attempt to get the girl to uncurl.

She hadn't and actually fell asleep in that position.

This morning she refused to eat anything and several were doubting the outing now. However it was important she go to receive her wand and robes, so ultimately they decided the fresh air would be good for her.

No one had asked her what she saw and she was happy because it was still puzzle to her too.

She was dressed in new clothes to go out and she had not remembered the last time she had such new and fresh smelling clothes.

They rode a train to another town before they apparated into Diagon Alley. They figured this was the best way to get to their destination because sending the children by floor powder could end terribly and flying would take too long and Leah would not have been keen on the idea.

Apparating seemed to have no effect on the children and when they got reoriented, Harry was eagerly looking over his list and at possible stores.

Diagon Alley was narrow and stacked high with the most misshapen buildings that either child had ever seen.

"We haven't any money to buy our school supplies Sirius." Harry acknowledged.

"We must go to Gringott's, the bank. Severus has your key, Leah and I will stay outside and wait for you." He smiled and they stopped outside a lopsided grand building.

Severus led Harry in and he was confronted by the sight of creatures he'd never even heard of. Snape told him they were Goblins and soon they were in front of a stoic one, the one that asked for his key.

They were under ground before they stopped at vault 687 where when opened showed Harry a plentiful amount of coins.

"Your parents left you and your sister everything they owned. Which proved to be a copious amount." Severus told him.

They came back to the surface with enough money to buy all their supplies and give each child enough to have pocket change.

Leah was intrigued by what Harry told her about their adventure underground and the money as they walked toward the first store.

Their first stop to shop was Madam Mulkins Robe Shop, where they were both fitted and given three sets of robes. Then they went toward the Bookstore where they got all the textbooks needed for class. After some more shopping, it was time for lunch.

They went to the Leaky Cauldron and sat to have meal before they were interrupted by a man. He wore a turban around his other is bald head and twitched slightly playing with his hands.

"Mmmmr. Ppppotter, very nice ttto meet you." The stutter was terribly harsh.

"Professor Quirrel, didn't think we'd see you here. Thought you'd be at the castle by now." Sirius said.

"I wwwas a bbit llate, I hhad business ttto attend tto." By now others had heard Harry's name and began to swarm their table and shaking his hand.

"Alright everyone that's enough. Let the boy eat." Severus said sternly. They all backed off before incurring the wrath of Snape.

"I didn't know I was famous." Harry said looking at both men.

"Didn't they ever tell you how you got your scar?" The truth was there was nothing in the box about this and they had never asked the Dursley's but they certainly told them enough times.

"They told me I got it in the car crash that killed mom and dad."

"Harry they didn't die in a car crash. They were murdered." Harry was suddenly upset.

"Aunt Petunia said our mother was driving crazy on the night they died and crashed into a ditch. They rescued both of us but mom and dad died and I was left with this scar." Leah too had heard this story but had started to doubt it truth when she had touched the group picture in the box and had gotten a sight of the rat looking man talking to someone scary and that person approaching a house. It was blurry after that. She never told Harry though, because she did not know the whole story.

"By who?" Leah asked.

They seemed to realize she was still there and it was Severus who answered.

"He-who-must-not-be-named."

"What happened?" Harry inquired.

"He came to your house, threatened by your parents power against him. He was a dark wizard. He killed your parents that night and afterwards tried to kill you Harry. He was unsuccessful and ended up being defeated. Some say he died but others believe he's alive, only barely holding on. He gave you that scar. You became the the Boy Who Lived." Sirius told them.

"What's his real name?" Harry asked.

"Voldemort. But we do not speak his name." Sirius whispered.

They finished lunch a bit more discouraged and Harry wasn't even excited any longer, but kept touching his scar.

They had shopped for some supplies at various stores before they stopped outside the wand shop.

"This is Ollivander's Wand Shop. The only place to get the best wands in the wizarding world. Severus and I have some things to sort out, but you and Leah can go ing a get your wands and then wait for us alright?" Sirius told them.

They nodded and walked in timidly. Harry called out to see if anyone was behind the desk.

An old man, gray and wrinkled, looked at both of them before gasping.

"Harry, I wondered when you would walk into this store. It seems only yesterday your parents were coming for their wands." He seemed to get an idea and went for a box and placed in front of Harry, opened.

"Go on, give it a flick." He did so and the lamp and glass jar upon the desk broke.

"No. Let's try this one." He place another on the desk. This one brought several boxes flying down in a corner of the store.

He brought several more before he was hit with an epiphany. He sauntered over to Harry one last time.

When Harry swished this wand, it was like a sudden changed temperature, Harry felt warm and seemed to glow.

"Interesting, very interesting." Ollivander mumbled.

"What's interesting?" Harry asked.

"It is very peculiar that that wand's core is Phoenix feather. That Phoenix only gave two feathers and the other one is the core of the wand that gave you that scar." He said darkly.

He quickly changed his demeanor as the door opened.

A boy around Harry's age and build walked in. He had bleach blonde hair, blue eyes and a certainly devilish smirk.

He pushed pass Harry and demanded a wand from Mr. Ollivander.

"Excuse me, my sister was ahead of you." The boy looked back at him and Leah and then sneered and turned back.

Harry took this opportunity to come back up to the desk and stare the boy down.

"It's alright Harry, I can wait." Leah muttered.

The boy seemed to change his attitude suddenly.

"Harry? As in Harry Potter?"

"That's me."

"Draco Malfoy." He held out his hand but Harry did not take it.

"My sister was waiting before you came in, it's her turn." He glared at Draco.

"Her? She isn't old enough to go to school. She looks like she's five."

"She's nine and she got a letter. She must get her wand and she was in line before you."

He scoffed but did not move. Leah eventually grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him away and told him to let it go. It would do him no good to start a fight over her.

After Draco had received his wand he pushed past Harry once more and out of the shop.

"He's certainly not a good child to hang around Harry. I'd be cautious of how you interact with that one." Ollivander told him.

Leah stepped up for her wand then and Ollivander immediately got an idea.

"Unicorn hair and Dragon Heartstring as the core. 9 inches." He handed it to her and she flicked the stick in her hand. At once the warmth was there and she could feel a sure of power throughout her body.

"Certainly peculiar as well. This wand was made over five hundred years ago and has never matched to a witch before."

They paid and said their thanks and walked out front where they saw Sirius holding a cage with a pure white owl occupying it.

"Happy Birthday Harry!" The bird squawked and he ran over thanking them profusely.

"We weren't sure what kind of pet you'd like Leah." Severus told her. She wasn't quite sure either but when they'd past the animal shop before she wasn't drawn to any of them really.

On the way to the shop Harry had already named the owl, Hedwig, and was talking to it.

They spent half an hour in the shop but Leah was not able to pick a pet and decided to go outside for a moment to make a decision as she had to pick one somehow.

This is when she heard incessant meowing coming from a small alley on the side of the shop. She found a small cat, completely black and with short hair. He seemed injured and when she went to pet it she was hit with the vision of how it became that way.

The cat had been through the same situation as her, the caretaker who was suppose to love and care for it, had not and had hurt him. ''

The cat took to her immediately, a bond she could physically feel and when she heard Severus calling for her and went toward the front of the store, the cat followed.

"I think I found one." She told him as the cat rubbed her legs.

"I'd say so. It seems he needs some assistance. We shall take him to Poppy as she can diagnose animals as well."

The day ended with the four meeting the Weasley's as they were beginning to head to an apparation area. They had stopped in front of a Broom and Quidditch store.

Harry met Ron Weasley and quickly bonded over the broom and the want to join quidditch. Leah had exchanged a few words with Ginny Weasley whom was just as shy as she was and soon they were talking about the cat at Leah's feet and the name she had picked, Emrys.

The end of the day had come and even Leah was smiling as they headed back to the castle.


End file.
